Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The Jews lived scattered throughout the world. In their new place they will work to find their fortune. One of those places is Indonesia. Historical records have shown that there are many Jews living and earning a living in Indonesia, one of which is Leendert Miero.
Leendert Miero’s real name is Jehoeve Leip Benjegiehel Snijder. He was a Jew from Russia who arrived in the Dutch East Indies in 1775. He arrived in the Dutch Indies to serve as a VOC soldier.
During his years on duty, Miero’s daily work was only to maintain security. Nothing more than that. However, one day in 1778, Miero, who was on duty, made a fatal mistake. The mistake occurred because he, who was assigned to guard the large, luxurious house belonging to a VOC official named Reiner de Klerk, was fast asleep.
Not accepting that his soldiers had made a mistake, Reiner got angry and beat Meiro 50 times. As a result, Meiro groaned in pain. In a situation like this, he then let out an expletive from his mouth:
“By the ancestors of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, one day I will buy this entire house and land!”
As explained by Herald van de Linde in Jakarta: History of Misunderstood City (2020), to pursue his oath he immediately resigned as a soldier and changed profession as an entrepreneur. Because, this profession is the only and best way to gain wealth.
Since then, he has been trading gold and opening a stall near Glodok. Apart from that, he also became a loan shark. Like other Jews, he also has a strong determination to achieve his dreams. No matter what the obstacles, he keeps working. Until finally, he became very rich.
According to ADolf Heuken in Historical Places in Jakarta (2016) the success of having a lot of money makes Meiro able to buy what he wants. Starting from shops, land, houses, including the house mentioned in his oath.
When Meiro was successful, the boss who beat him had died. There is only his wife. As a result, without further ado, Meiro immediately took revenge. He bought the entire house belonging to his former master in 1818 and began life as a crazy rich Batavia.
“When he controlled the house, Meiro often held big parties on the day he received the whip as a commemorative celebration,” wrote Herald van de Linde.
Later, apart from owning the house, this man who was born on April 22 1755 also owned a house and a very large plot of land located 25 km south of Batavia, belonging to Dutch officials. On that land he has a super big house which people often call ‘Pondok Gede’.
People then knew him as a landowner. Meiro’s life journey must end on May 10, 1834. All his property was then held by his children. Now, the land and house previously occupied by Meiro have turned into the Pondok Gede area, East Jakarta.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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